


All I ever wanted was the world

by TessiePessie



Category: Anastasia (1997), Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: (I hope), Anya is a ballerina, Dmitry and Maria are besties, Dmitry is a nurse who works with Maria, F/M, Friends to Lovers, I'm Bad At Tagging, Modern settings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, anya wants to be a broadway star, this start as a one shot and know it's not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-05-07 15:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14674314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessiePessie/pseuds/TessiePessie
Summary: Anya had prepared her entire life for the day when someone would finally see the talent in her.Meanwhile, Dmitry spent most of his days amongst the corridors of a cold hospital, living on energy drinks and overheated food.And it is in this hospital where their paths cross and their story begins....Dimya modern Au.





	1. First things first

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea for a while but I didn't wanted to give it a chance (until now) because this fic is my bedtime story and I needed to write it before I completely forget it. 
> 
> It started as a one shot, but later it became something much bigger. Surely, the rest of the chapters will not be as long as this one (I think). Thanks again to @WritingToKeepMySanity who read it and made it more readable for you.

When Kate left her apartament five minutes later than in a normal day, she had to run to catch the bus. At her fast steps, she didn’t see the old lady carrying a basket with fruits who was opening her store. The basket fell, rolling on the floor, and leaving a mess of apples that stopped the steps of those who were running to their jobs, and Casey’s mom told him that a good man was one who always helped his neighbor if he had the chance. That’s why he had to stop and help old Livia from the store, but he couldn't catch the last sneaky apple which ran into the street and scared a weak young cyclist who stopped so quickly that jumped from the bike and crashed into a taxi whose driver didn't see the red light because of the man with a cellphone in his hand who kept asking him for directions to the nearby library.

“Someone call an ambulance please!” 

People gathered around the young man on the ground who was blinking quickly trying to keep himself conscious. The blue of the sky was hidden behind curious eyes that moved and lips that formed words, but he could not decipher what they said to him. He would be late for his classes, maybe he had to take the bus, did he have to take an exam today? So many questions and he was so tired… Maybe he should close his eyes for a minute.

The blurry faces in front of the man in the floor, went slowly into dark and the last thing he heard was someone asking for his name and the sound of an ambulance.

…

“Okay pretty ladies, get ready quickly. We have rehearsal!” 

Lily clapped her hands fast, chasing the girls who, with total laziness, took their bags and walked to the camerino. The only one that was ready was Anya, with her white tutu and ribbon in her hair, she got nothing to envy to the Broadway stars. She was on stage warming-up while the cast was getting ready. So professional, Lily wished that the rest of the cast were like her, always on time and the first ready to perform. Most of the people who performed here did it as a hobby, so they didn't really try hard to make it the best show of their lives. 

Seemed like that rehearsal would be a long one. She should take her vacation while she still could, Or sell the theater. Or drink a shot of vodka. Whatever works. 

“Anya, why are you wearing your costume?”  
“I want to get used to moving in it… and I look pretty” _This girl…_  
“ _Okay…_ Everyone take positions! we start in five!”

Working in a community production was not the big dream that Anastasia had when she was five and decide that one day her name would be in some Broadway production, but at least she was doing what she loved. Even if most of the audience was made up of seniors at the matineé.

And of course, this wouldn’t be permanent. Someday she would be in Broadway _oh! she could be in Wicked! or maybe in a new and exciting show._ She would wait for her moment. Even if it took ten or twenty years. 

Just one shitty production at a time. 

…

These 24-hour shifts would be the death of him. His thoughts were not coherent by the end of his shift, and he was pretty sure he'd been staring at the wall of the break room for the past ten minutes without blinking. Dmitry wondered how much longer he could live on a diet of coffee and Red Bull before he had a heart attack. It probably wasn't healthy, but he was a nurse, not a nutritionist.

Just a few hours more and he would be sleeping at his comfy bed till the world collapses (lies, just till Vlad came to make him eat something else than sugar).

“Do you have plans for this Friday?” he needed to talk, or he would fall asleep right then and there.  
“My sister has a presentation with her company. We are all going to see her as a family to support her penniless career.” Maria was melted on the futon, they started the shift together so she probably was as tired as he was. No judging.  
“At least she does what she loves”  
“Hey! I love my job too, but I love sleep more” 

Being friends with Maria was easy, even when she came from a crazy rich family that paid for her college tuition and he would be in endless debt for most of his life. Still, they had the same age and they started their internship at ER together. After a few weeks, they spent most of their spare time at the cafeteria sharing experience of the moody doctors and funny stories of the patients. Maria was a breath of fresh air in this shitty work and he couldn’t ask for a best partner. 

They were friends.

Kind of.

They don’t usually hang out on their days off _why would they? they probably see each other more than they see their families._ He didn’t know where her apartment was and he knew a few thing about her family, like she had a bunch of siblings, and she wanted an insane numbers of children. But she was the only one who was friendly with him and didn't make fun of him for being a nurse, and sometimes, they go for a drink when the day was especially awful.

“Come on. I'll get you a Snickers. I need sugar” 

Dmitry and Maria were halfway to the cafeteria when the stretcher came in through the emergency door. _There goes my food._

Running fast, they caught up with the paramedics. Apparently, a taxi didn’t see the red light. The patient was young. They didn’t know his name yet, and even though the impact wasn't that big, he wasn't waking up.

“He's my brother!” Maria said, almost screaming. “He is hemophilic!” 

She was pale and she looked like she would faint in any moment. She was frightened, and of course she was. If her brother didn’t get medical attention quickly, he could die.

Her hands were shaking when Dmitry took her away and led her to an empty room.

“Blood type Maria?”  
“AB, he is AB.. How did this happen to him?” she looked like she would cry in seconds and right then, he didn’t have time to deal with tears.  
“Call your family. I’ll be with him. You can’t deal with this in your condition. He is going to be okay, trust me.”

But honestly, he was not sure.

…

On Friday they had their first show, but most of the dancers were stumbling and the lead girl forgot her lines constantly. _This was a disaster, why was she even trying?_

Lily wanted to scream. 

Oh, but she knows why she was doing this, but who cares (she cares). Also, they already had the cast, and the scenery was ready. They sent all of the invitations to the important people and she pulled a few strings, so with a bit of luck, the press would be here, _she can’t cancel now_. This would be a joke but a joke that she would be proud of, _yeah… right._

“Okay okay. Everyone, we are going to have a brief recess, and then we are going to try this again.” 

Anastasia’s cellphone had five missed calls when she took it. Maria usually didn’t call when she had shift. That’s weird. And she knew that she had rehearsal today. Weird, weird, weird.

“Hey Lil’s….” but her godmother was at phone looking very pale. _What’s going on?_  
“Sweetheart, we have to leave. Now. Go for your stuff, no time to change clothes.”

Her phone started ringing again. It was Olga. Weirder.

She didn’t say “hi” which was unusual because Olgas was the politest person alive, maybe Tatiana could fight the crown. She didn’t say hi, but the words that she heard made her blood cold. It was something about and an accident and Alexei, and honestly, she didn’t care for the rest.

She was running out of the theater before the call ended.

…

Maria’s coffee was cold and her tears were dry now. The surgery started an hour ago and Dmitry didn’t say anything yet. She knew that this took time, but still. It was her baby brother in the OR, she couldn't just relax.

The only thing that stopped her to run into the surgery was Olga holding her hand. She had a rosary in her closed fist over her heart. She was praying, just like her mother used to do it. Maria stopped believing in god long time ago, but she found the prayers relaxing. It makes her feel safe and maybe, He was listening.

Lily and Anastasia came together. Her sister was still in her costume and hurried to hug her while Lily stood awkwardly, looking at the people in the waiting room. At least Anya wasn’t crying. She always was stronger than her. 

“What happened Mashka?”

What happened? What happened was a stupid driver didn't see the red light, even though red was a pretty obvious color that everyone knew meant stop. What happened was, for ABC reasons, Alexei got scared for an apple... yes, an apple, and he jumped from his bike because obviously that was his only option and he ended up crashing with the taxi. That's what happened. And now he was in surgery.

Half an hour ago, Dmitry ran by with two bags of blood into the OR. He didn’t say a word to her.

Anya didn’t sit with Maria, Olga and Lily. She just walked in the alley. Sometimes on her tiptoes, sometimes not. She’s still wearing her ballet shoes. If she just sat there, everything would be more real and this can’t be real. She hated hospitals since Alexei born. Most of his childhood was between white walls and the smelt of antiseptic, this can’t be happening again. 

But the last time that they came to an hospital was when she had seventeen and that ended with everyone wearing black. Hospitals were only bad news. She didn’t know how Maria could work here.

She didn’t know how they can stay here and just sit until someone bring them news. 

Lily could use a drink now. Damned hospital with their damned sober policy, and she couldn’t leave either. What kind of ruthless woman would leave these poor children alone? They may not be family by blood, but she had watched them grow. No, Lily could be an alcoholic- _ish_ and moody woman, but she wasn’t ruthless. 

She had never been good at dealing with people who were suffering, what could she do? Pat them on their backs? Maybe she could offer to go for coffee or something to eat if the surgery took longer, but for now it was enough to sit next to them and wait.

Still, the damned surgery looks like would never end. 

Till it ended.

Maria was the first to get in her feet and rushed to Dmitry, who looked tired but at least he was smiling and _yes_ , he may be an asshole sometimes, but he wouldn’t dare to be an asshole in this situation. 

Anastasia hold Maria’s hand tightly and Olga put a hand on her shoulder. They waited for her to make a move, but it wasn’t necessary because exhausted Dmitry was getting anxious and couldn’t wait for her to speak

“I told you he would be fine.” Maria and her sisters felt how suddenly they could breathe again. “Yes, he could have needed blood, but wasn’t too much, it was more for precaution. He had an hemorrhage but the doctors worked quickly so it wasn’t much the damage. I guess, the doctor would be more clear. Now, if you excuse me, I need to move him to his room...” Suddenly, Dmitry looked perplexed to Anastasia for the first time, and then to Maria. “Why does she look like a doll?”

Anya at her side made a little snort while she stand straight crossing her arms over her chest. She looked proud and taller than she really is… _Is she up on her toes?_

“Because I was in rehearsals, and why do you care?”

Dmitry smiled and Anya mimicked his smile while Maria thought _Jesus Christ._

“ _Come on_ ,” Maria hurried him, taking his arm. “I will help you with Alexei,” she said rolling her eyes.  
...

Alexei opened her eyes in a bright white room and felt a bit dizzy. His head hurted a lot and that was the only part of his body that he could actually feel. Everything else was numb and he was thirsty. 

He felt like a car crushed him… _Wait._

 _Oh_ , the apple. Yes. He remembered now. This would be a funny story in the future, but he is pretty sure that he is in trouble now.

His family is going to kill him. Maybe he should back to sleep.

“Look who is awake.” 

Or maybe not.

There’s a young man beside his bed. He is smiling even when he looked like he didn’t slept in days. Maybe _he_ should sleep.

“Who are you?” The guy helped him into a sitting position and _wow, now everything hurts_ and then, approached him a glass of water. Nice guy, Alexei already liked him.

“I’m Dmitry, your nurse”  
“Nurse? where’s the pretty blond? there’s always a pretty blond nurse in the movies.”  
“First of all, the only pretty blond that I know is your sister, gross. Second, we are in 2018, men can be nurses, so... _let it go.”_

Shit, he is in Maria’s hospital. Whatever was the reason she wasn’t here, he knows that at any moment his family will come in the door. For a 21-year-old man, Alexei was a _bit_ scared of his sisters.

“Maria is out there?”  
“Yes, with an old lady who looked pissed and your sisters.”  
“Do they look mad?”  
“Nah, your sisters are just worried. They are talking with the doctor, so they should be here in no time.”

The first came in was Anastasia. She slap his forehead knowing that Olga would scold her (and she did it). Then Olga kissed his face like she did it when he was a child and Lily squeezed his cheeks. Yes, they were just worried, but that didn't stop them from asking questions or Anya from mocking him because _seriously Alexei, you gave us the scare of our life just for an apple? such an idiot._

In a corner, Maria was talking with Dmitry. She couldn’t be more grateful to him, seriously. He acted with total professionalism and took good care of her brother when she was a crying mess. Another person probably would scream at her and she would hardly be able to pull herself together, but he was patient and let her be with her family. He was such a good friend. He even offered to stay a few more hours taking care of Alexei while she went to her house to shower and sleep for a couple of hours until she returned to the next day's shift.

She would think of something to return the favor.

“Why you didn’t tell me that your little sister was a prettier version of you?”

 _Hell no_. Not on her watch.

“Because it’s information that shouldn't interest you.”

“Why?!” Dmitry sounded offended.

“Trust me, you are not her type. Actually, she has a really shitty taste in men and you are… you.”

“But I’m a good guy, I could be an improvement in her love choices.”

_Seriously… what a day._

“Give me a break. I’m going to finish a few things before I left. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a no, but a maybe. Still, he probably didn’t have a chance with her sister.


	2. I can't help but I need it all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are you doing here?” someone said in a whisper near his ear. Taking the blanket, he tried to cover his head and go back to sleep, but that someone took it from him.
> 
> “What?! What do you want?” said Dmitry, quietly furious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really late in this update, but it wasn't my fault. A lot of thing happen. I've got my degree, and obviously graduate, then my computer died and apparently now I have a job so wohooo.
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter, yes is shorter, but I'm still showing (or trying) what's going on with the characters.

Anastasia didn’t sleep that night, so when the alarm went off, she wasn’t surprised to be fully awake. 

Yesterday was a long and tired day. There was too much in her head to fall asleep.

Jumping off the bed, she ran to the shower. She had work today--a part-time job, because she had food to buy and bills to pay, you know, like normal people do. But before work, she wanted to visit her brother at the hospital.

She needed to hug him to know he was okay, and maybe, to laugh at him, too. She needed to be with her brother because without him, Anya didn’t know if she could open her eyes anymore.

The thing was that even though she and Maria were close in their childhood, and now in their adulthood, Alexei and her were… _closer._ He was the youngest and the weakest of them. Their mother was always so worried that something would happen to him that they even had a doctor who practically lived in the big house with them. Being hemophilic was something that defined Alexei’s childhood, and without real friends (the constant visits to the hospital wasn’t something that could help the socializations) Anastasia felt that was her responsibility to make him smile. So she did it. She played awful pranks on everyone--except Alexei--to make him laugh. She wore her tutu and danced for him when he was in bed to entertain him. She told him the strangest stories her tiny brain could come up with at bedtime.

Yes, she and Maria were close, but Alexei was her best friend. 

He put her feet on the ground and he made her serene. Without him, she’d be lost.

And for all those reasons, she was now at the bus stop with Alexei's breakfast  
\----  
Maria fell asleep as soon her head touch the pillow, and in spite of it, her dream wasn’t calm.

She dreamt of her parents, of a house on fire, of screams. She dreamt of the smell of smoke and burnt wood and memories. She could feel the heat on her fingertips and how her lungs fought for air.

She woke up with tears running down her cheeks. It was early in the morning and she felt alone in the apartment she shared with her younger sister. Funny, how they lived together and these days barely saw one another.. It was hard to find time to spend together when Maria had her longs shifts at the hospital and Anastasia worked a part-time job at the café and was preparing the show with the company.

The only social life that Maria had at the moment was with the patients she saw and the drinks that she and Dmitry had before work. 

Yes, she was lonely. 

No, she didn’t like it.

And yes, she was trying to do something about it, but didn’t know how.

She was never the pretty one (that’s was Tatiana) or the smart one (Olga, obviously) neither the charming one (Anastasia, of course). She was just Maria, quiet Maria, dreamy Maria who wanted a big family and someone who loved her like her father loved her mother. 

But finding love was hard, and in college she learned that boys could be really mean, using people and then throwing them in the garbage. Her heart was shattered and, yes, Maria felt lonely, but if someone finally broke her heart, she would never recover from it. So she focused on work, worked hard to help other people, watched them heal, smile, and then leave.

It was safe and she was good at it. 

Maybe she should buy a cat.

\----  
One of the requirements of being a hospital intern was the ability to sleep anywhere, and, fortunately for Dmitry, that was something he'd perfected when he was in college. Sleeping in a chair? Was as soft as a pillow, but he was pretty sure Maria would prefer her real and comfy bed, and she needed the sleep. Which explained why he was now beside her little brother's bed.

The rule was no one could stay in the patient's room unless they were a close relative and the doctor authorized it, but Dmitry was quite confident in his charm. So, after a little talk with the night shift nurse--and a couple of smiles--he got the authorization (and a blanket).

Alexei slept well--it was probably the pain medicine, helping keep him calm. And, perhaps, he wasn't worried about being in a hospital. Maria had said this was a common thing in his life, something happening and him ending up in the hospital. In fact, it was awesome that he hadn't needed to return in the last five years. For Alexei, this was totally normal, so why should he worry and not sleep?  
Good for him, because he need a good sleep, too.

“What are you doing here?” someone said in a whisper near his ear. Taking the blanket, he tried to cover his head and go back to sleep, but that someone took it from him.

“What?! What do you want?” said Dmitry, quietly furious.

In front of him, there was a tiny blonde with a brown package in one hand, a bag on her shoulder, and she was killing him with her deep blue eyes. It took a few seconds for his brain to wake up and realize that the blond was Maria's sister, the young and pretty one, and suddenly he felt embarrassed. Embarrassed, because he was sleeping in a chair, and his hair was probably a mess, and he suddenly felt awkward and not very confident.

“So, what are you doing here?” Anastasia asked again.

“Keeping an eye on your brother.” His voice sound rough, and he blinked quickly because of the damned white walls, “I told Maria that she should sleep at home, it’s not a problem to me.”

“Oh… Okay. That’s good, that’s really good.”

Anastasia pressed her lips in a thin line and didn’t say anything for a while, too stunned for the disinterested act of someone who only yesterday told him that she looked like a doll, and Dmitry was still too asleep to try to make small talk and it was in an awkward silence that Alexei found both of them when he wake up. 

The painkiller were working on him, so his body felt numb, which was a good thing, because the pain he felt yesterday it was something he would not like to relive. Still, his mind was clear enough to notice his sister and the nurse he met yesterday. Anastasia was silent, strange thing for her, because as far as he remembered, the youngest Romanov daughter couldn’t keep her mouth shut, even when was asked to, and for the nurse… He didn’t know him yet, so it could be normal.

“Hello?” Alexei said quietly, trying to attract attention to him. Immediately, Anya looked at him and give him her best smile.  
“Hi sunbeam, nice to see you awake.”  
“Why are you here? Don’t you have work?”  
“Yes, but I came to bring you breakfast and then I’ll go to the café.” 

That was nice. Not having to eat tasteless and bland food was probably his brightest spot of the day since he was going to be secluded on bed till the doctor say it’s okay to him to leave the hospital. He really loved his sister right now.

She had brought him a simple peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich and an apple. When he was a kid, it had been his favorite food because it was tasty and simple, and he could do it by himself, which had made him feel like a big boy. Since then, every time he was in the hospital, or felt a bit under the weather, Anya or Olga made him this sandwich and, yes, it cheered him up.

He was a simple man of simples taste. 

“Okay, I think it’s time for me to leave.” Dmitry took his backpack and smile at both of them.  
“You leaving already?” Alexei asked.  
“Yes, I have to go home, make myself presentable to come back here.”  
“Nice, I’m afraid of that big nurse who nearly broke my other arm last night.”  
“Oh don’t worry, we have shift with Maria, so you are going to be okay. See you later kiddo.”

Anastasia almost laughed. It was so easy for Alexei to get people to like him--it was almost alarming, because he put too much trust in others--but it wasn't strange to see him and Dmitry have this friendly talk.

"I should go too, of Madame Phlegmenkoff will kill me and use my head as a decoration," Anya said jokingly.  
"You can't die until Saturday, or you'll break Lily's heart."  
“Right, and you have to get a full recovery or you’ll miss the show.”

It was strange to watch the interaction between siblings. That bond by blood was something Dmitry always wanted and could never have. His mother had died at his brother's birth, and took his little brother with her. He had grown up as a lonely child, and he had gotten used to that, but watching the Romanov siblings he felt in the way, so Dmitry turned his back to leave the room without them noticing. Besides, he'd see Alexei later.

Anastasia caught him at the elevator.

“I told you that I was leaving too. Why you didn’t wait for me?” Anya was moving her feet nervously. To her, the elevator was taking years.  
“I thought you wanted a few minutes alone with your brother.”  
“Fair enough.” When the door opened, Dmitry let her in first, an act that made her smile a bit. “So… Why did you take care of my brother last night?”  
“Maria is one of the few people that I truly like here. Plus, if I ever want a favor in the future, she has to do it."  
“That’s evil, and smart. What would you ask her to do? Cover you shift for a month?” In the light of the elevator, Dmitry thought that Anya looked like a movie star. She chose her career well.  
“No. Your phone number.”

It was a risky move, but he clearly wasn’t thinking. Maria’s sister kept quiet till the elevator open again and took the first step to the exit. He followed her quietly till they reach the door and she look at him again.

“So, you spent the night at the hospital with my brother just to get my number?”  
“I was going to do it anyway, but yes …”  
"Then walk me to the cafe, we'll talk on the way and maybe you can have my number."

In his head, Dmitry could hear Maria's nasty words, but he didn't care. So he took the opposite direction of apartment.


	3. You say that I'm kinda difficult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soldier in the waiting room looked a bit tired. He kept looking at the coffee machine like it could give him the most important answer in the universe. It couldn't, but that wasn’t her business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _OHMYGODIFOUNDAJOB_ My life is an absolutely mess right now, but a good one. Seriosly.
> 
> I hope you like this chapter, there's so much to say, but I don't know how. Pls don't hate me with the new guy in the fic. 
> 
> kisssssssssssssssesssssss

The soldier in the waiting room looked a bit tired in Maria’s opinion. He kept looking at the coffee machine like it could give him the most important answer in the universe. It couldn't, but that wasn’t her business. 

Her shift would start in an hour, but she preferred to get there earlier so she could visit Alexei and assure Olga that their baby brother was in good hands. But right now the doctor needed to run a test. 

So she is in the waiting room too.

With the tired soldier and the magic coffee machine.

No, it wasn’t her business.

_Oh god…_

“Sir, do you need help?”  
“Oh! no, I just.. my friend is in surgery. I just found out today.” 

Maria tried really hard not to sigh. She was the one who started the conversation. She couldn’t help it, she was a nurse, it ran in her blood.

“Why is he in surgery?”  
“A problem in his leg… This is the third intervention, but now they are going to amputate it.”

Harsh.

This wasn’t the first time that she saw something like that. Once in a while, some soldier came to therapy after a bad tour ended with his foot on a mine, or a bullet in the wrong place. 

She would take their hand when they cried in shock over losing a part of them. 

Much of them had her age or younger, like her brother.

But it was the soldier life.

Was it the price to protect America's freedom? right?

She guessed.

They kept quiet for a while. María had quickly found out in her life at the hospital that when people were in situations like this, there wasn’t much to say, just be there. 

Still, the soldier was sad, and something in her chest squeezed. That was why she took her last chocolate bar and handed it to him. 

The big eyes of the man brightened and he gave her a tiny smile.

“In my experience, this is much better than coffee.”  
“Thank you… ?”  
“Maria Romanova.” She said, offering her hand.  
“Gleb Vaganov.” Maria wanted to laugh.  
“Are you Russian?”  
“Just my last name. I’m born and raised here, ma’am.”  
“Yikes. I was wondering why there were a lot of Russians in New York.”  
“Well, it was a great empire not long time ago.” 

Maria wanted to smile but they were in an hospital and his friend was in surgery so... no. She looked at her watch instead, in fifteen minutes her shift would start.

“I’m a nurse here. You can find me when your friend's surgery has ended and I can keep an eye on him if you want..”

“That’s… really nice.” 

“You know… it’s part of my job, so don’t worry.” 

She left him in the waiting room, not noticing that the soldier kept a smile on his face till he lost sight of her.

\-----

“You work here?”

The cafe he stood in front of was small but warm. The shocking part was that he came here after every shift before he went to Vlad's place. Amazing how he never saw her, because if he had, Dmitry wouldn't have forgotten her.

Man, life was so strange.

“Yes, for two years now. It’s a part-time job but it helps me pay the bills.” 

Anastasia was playing with her sleeves. Any minute, and her boss would be there to drag her inside, but she didn't want to go in.

Her walk with Dmitry was… _peaceful_. They made small talk, he made her smile more than once, and she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with some blabbering. 

Now, she didn’t know how to say goodbye. 

At it seemed that he didn’t know how too.

_What a mess._

“I guess you win my number.”  
“I guess I did,” with a graceful movement, Dmitry lend her his phone. 

If she was honest with herself, Anastasia would have given him her number just yesterday, when she saw him at the hospital, and he'd looked perplexed and amused as he watched her in her ballerina outfit. She was not too picky. Dmitry was handsome, he had a job and Maria thought that he was an okay guy. To her, that was enough.

She didn’t know why he thought that he should do something big to have a few of numbers with a name in his phone, but she liked the idea. 

The whole walk, he never tried to hold her hand, or touch her in any way, and neither of them hinted at whether or not they should date--or anything else.. He just asked her about her presentation, about her family (mostly Alexei, he already knew some about her history thanks to Maria). He listened her too, never interrupting her, just listening.

Strange. Strange and refreshing.

Maybe he only wanted to be her friend.

“I should go, Maria will kill me if I’m late for work.” 

Yes, probably just friends.

“It’s fine, at any moment you could hear the screams of my boss if I don’t go in to the café.” 

He give her an awkward hug that made her laugh and then left. Anastasia’s cheeks felt warm and the other waitress that saw the interaction through the window, only raised her eyebrows when Anastasia crossed her gaze with her.

She could see many questions in her future. Today would be a long day.

And Dmitry, while he walked to his apartment thought that his cellphone never was so important like it was now.

\-----

“You should be more careful, Alyosha”

Maria’s rambling made Alexei bored. In this room nothing was interesting and he hoped that Dmitry didn’t forget the game that he promised. Maybe if he fell asleep for a while, Maria would stop talking.

“Seriously, you scared us to death.”  
“Well, I see you pretty alive here.”  
“NOT… FUNNY” Alexei had to dodge Maria's blow and in the process, his body complained loudly.

Why were all his sisters so violent?

Alexei thought that when you are the younger brother, and at the same time, hemophilic, his sisters would be extra sweet and kind with him, but mostly, the four of them were like an extension of their mother. Well, not Anastasia, and that was probably because she was the younger sister too, and she was always in trouble.

If the governess were here, he probably wouldn’t sleep because she would be scolding him harder than Maria is doing right now.

There was a knock in the door and Maria quickly looked at the sound.

A man wearing an uniform looked at her nervously and suddenly Maria was standing with her back straight.

He didn’t say anything and she didn’t either.

Alexei was tired of the silence.

“Hi… who are you?”  
“Hi, uhmmm.. I’m Gleb Vaganov. I was looking for Miss Maria”  
“Yeah, right. Is your friend okay?” Maria took a few step closer to him and Alexei crossed his fingers, wishing that she didn’t left the room.

“Yes, he is in the room 45b. Thanks again for looking in on him.” 

Alexei looked at the man in the door, how he played with his military hat. It was like a romcom movie and this was the most entertaining thing that happen in his day.

“Yeah, right. He’ll be in good hands.” _well played Maria._  
“I know, and maybe I could see you around?”  
“Well, if you come to see your friend, you’ll probably saw me because… _I work here.”_  
“Yeah, I know.. I just, I… I should go. Good to see you Miss Maria.”

And he quickly left. Oh what Anastasia had missed for not being here. He hadn't even had his phone to record the whole thing.

“He is quite handsome, big sis.” If looks could kill, Alexei would have died from Maria's gaze.  
“Yes, but he is a soldier. Forget it.”  
“If I remember, you were pretty into soldiers when you were young.”  
“Shut the fuck up! And don’t tell Anastasia.”

Oh he could not tell her, but she would tell Dmitry everything as soon as he crossed the door.


	4. The primadonna life, the rise and fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexei had a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have been gone for a while but with the show closing, I need to post this.
> 
> It's not checked by a beta, so this may be Grammarly incorrect or things like that. So, my apologies.
> 
> That said, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

Olga was getting ready for her job at the school when she saw the picture of her parents at the night table.

They looked happy, they were the happiest person that she ever met. So in love, so caring for their children, so full of life, till…

It’s crazy how things can change so quickly.

She remembered that moment perfectly. She was young and careless at her senior year of college. She wanted to be a writer, like the authors that she so avidly read, and she loved. At that time, she truly believed that was possible because her life was perfect. 

Yes, it was perfect indeed.

And then the call came.

The voice said that their parents were shot, the voice said that Maria was there too, but she was okay at the hospital. The voice didn’t say anything about her parents.

Olga was at lunch with her friends, and there was no more information, only the order to gather her things and go to the hospital. So she did it. She ran.

It was a cold day in November, a week before Thanksgiving day. They planned to go to Paris, her grandma was here for a quick visit, but she’ll return home soon. Anastasia had the idea that they all should fly for the holiday and asked it as a Christmas gif. Dad says yes. They never arrived at the city of lights.

The walk in the cold aisle of the hospital was awful. Olga knew that she was crying because she felt the tear running on her face, and immediately the people looked at her and she didn’t want their pity. She just wanted her family, or what was left of them.

Alexei was only thirteen, and at that time, his face was a weird combination of the baby shape with something teenage, and her parents never would saw him grow.

Anastasia was holding his hand and looked pale. Olga knew that she hated hospitals and probably just wanted to run away, but Maria was her closest sister, she needed to know that everything was going to be alright, even when it wasn’t.

Tatiana was crying at Nana's shoulder. Tatiana loved their parents and she wanted to be just like her mom. They were so alike that sometimes it was scary.

And the scariest part of everything was that they didn’t have a mom anymore, nor a dad.

It scared it till this day because sometimes she forgets things, like how warm her father hugs were, or how caring was her mom. How they told her bed stories till she was twelve.

She forgets and she is afraid that someday she will not remember how their voices sound.

So Olga kept pictures of them in the same house where she grows up. Maybe someday she will tell their story, but for now, she had an English class with a bunch of teenagers and she needed her coffee first.

* * *

 

When Maria opened his brother bedroom door, she expected to find anything but Dmitry playing some stupid video game with Alexei. Why he wasn’t working as he should be? Infuriating.

“What are you doing here?” Maria said annoyed. She’s been running the whole day through the hospital and her friend was hiding here?

“I’m taking care of a patient”

“You are playing video games, that’s not _‘taking care’_ you liar!”

“Hey! I could die of boredom here, Dmitry is a good nurse. He’s doing his job” Anastasia warned Maria of this. This two are plotting against her.

Angrily, Maria checked the heartbeat of his brother and then prepare the analgesic to put on the physiological serum connect to the IV.

If Dmitry weren’t so good at his job, she probably would report him at the nurse chief. Also, kept  Alexei busy can be considered as “take care”. She’s tired, so tired.

She couldn’t deal with this if her blood wasn’t running in coffee.

“So, how is the handsome soldier?” Dmitry asked with a sly smile.

Maria flushed, she flushed so hard that probably her face was completely red. How was possible that Dmitry already knew about Gleb?

  _“Alexei!”_

“What? you say that I can’t tell Anastasia, you didn’t say anything about Dmitry.

 She needed a break. She needed a break of her family and friend because they are always messing with her and that makes her crazy. She only shared a few words with a man in a uniform, obviously, that’s not a big deal… right?

“That’s not your business, and You. Are. Not friend... with him!”

Maria’s finger pointed accusatory at Dmitry, who holds his hands high looking guilty for no reason at all, while Alexei said an offended _hey_.

“But we are friends!” exclaimed a childish Dmitry.

“Yes, _we are_ best friends now” backed up Alexei.  
This was too much. The hospital didn’t pay her enough to tolerate this kind of behavior of annoying siblings and more annoying coworkers. She needed to run away from this room.

Now.

“Why so hurried? are you going to meet with the handsome soldier?”

She didn’t answer, only closed the door mumbling their laughs.

 

* * *

 

Anastasia was singing to herself while she cleaned the tables. In two hours more she had a rehearsal and would be lying to herself if she said that wasn’t nervous about the presentation on Friday. Yes. Meg Giry wasn’t the protagonist at the Phantom of the Opera, but it was a good role. Didn’t sing too much, but hey! she looked hella good with her outfit.

_Baby steps, baby steps._

Also, it’s not like they are going to be a lot of people there. Her grandma is in France with Tatya doing some charity stuff that she loved so much. Alexei probably is going to be at the hospital. With him there, Maria would stay working too. So, who’s left? Olga and Lily…. but Lily is the director so she must be there.

Yes, she’s nervous but everything is going to be fine.

Maybe she should repeat her lines till the shift end.

Suddenly her phone made the characteristically sound of a new message and when she checked the notification, saw a pretty picture of Alexei and Dmitry.   
  
She saved it, because makes her smile, and because Maria is probably exasperated thanks this new friendship that her little brother had.

Madame Phlegmenkoff’s  loud  voice erase Anatasia’s smile.

“Romanov Girl! I need you here right now!”    
  
So she leaves the table quickly because she can tolerate everything but not the anger of her boss.

  
“I need you to take the closing shift this Friday. One of this waitress is sick. I don’t need her coughing at the coffee”. Madame  Phlegmenkoff’s was a big woman in her sixties who never care for a properly clean kitchen or how illegal was had people who overwork.

She wasn’t very kind too and didn’t have a sense of humor but this must be a joke. This couldn’t be happening.

“No, I can’t. You know that I can’t”

“I don’t care girl. I need you working and if you can’t do it, then don’t come back.”  her boss turns on her heels leaving a stunned Anastasia behind.

“I have a presentation on Friday, miss… we talked about this _a month ago_.” Anastasia felt that she could start crying and just hoped that her voice doesn’t fail her.

“I remember, I’m not stupid”, said Madame Phlegmenkoff “but I don’t care. You are not going to die if you miss a silly show. But this… this is money girl. This is important”

Anastasia was never so angry before. She could talk with one of the other girls to change the shift, to help her… This couldn’t be happening.

“Besides, you should quit with that nonsense of being a Broadway star. You are old, if you couldn’t do it when you were younger, what makes you believe that you could do it now? probably you are not talented enough. This is the best for you darling. I’m doing you a favor.”

She was crying now and Anastasia hated it.

“Look, even when you weren’t paying attention at the job, and were bothering to the customers singing your stupid theatre music, if you do this shift, I can’t give you a full-time job. Am I merciful, right?”

Anastasia didn’t say a thing. She goes to the Camerino ant take her apron and took her bag. She knew that she needed the job, she really knew it, but still….

 “What the heck do you think are you doing?”  screamed Madame Phlegmenkoff watching how she was leaving.

“Well, you said that if I can’t do the Friday shift, then I don’t come back, so… why wait then?”

Her boos looked green of anger, and part of Anastasia’s heart was glad to never look at her awful face again.

“How dare you?! if you cross that door, then you better never show your face again”

“Don’t worry, I won’t”

With her feet on the street, Anastasia didn’t know what to do next.

 

But at the same time, she never felt so powerful before.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Do you guys liked the story??? I have my doubts while I wrote them, so... what do you think?  
> Find me on tumblr as TessiePessie or Anotherdayblue, and we can talk about how Dmitry is a beauty dork. Si hablas español, con mayor razón ven. Te recibiré con los brazos abiertos y seremos feliz siendo hispanohablantes :D  
> Also, feedback is REALLY important to me, so leave a comment down below!


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